Every Story is a Love Story
by Syracuse1017
Summary: Takes place about five or six years after the events of season 4. Meredith and Derek are married, but when he cheats on her she turns to the dangerous Mark Sloan. Who will she choose?
1. Chapter 1

**A new story! I know I should finish the other one first, but hey, this idea popped into my head and I wanted to write it. Anyway here is the story**

**Prologue**

Six weeks. Six weeks had passed since Meredith Shepherd's world had fallen apart. Her husband of four years, Derek, had revealed to her that he had been having an eight month affair with his ex-wife Addison. According to Derek, it had started as a drunken mistake at Joe's one night and had continued from there. But now there were complications that had arose from the affair. Addison was pregnant, and Derek felt the need to tell Meredith. She knew that he would not have told her if Addison had not gotten pregnant, but she knew that she soon would be the laughingstock of the hospital. So she had moved out into the Archfield Hotel, conveniently (or inconveniently depending on one's point of view) across the hall from her husband's very sexy former best friend Mark Sloan. And it had been five weeks since Meredith had begun an affair with the very man her husband hated over all men: Mark Sloan.

The puking coming from the bathroom at 4:30 awoke Mark Sloan from his restful sleep. He and Meredith had not gone to bed until about midnight, as other activities were occupying their time. Reluctantly, Mark rolled out of the warm bed and went to the bathroom, where he saw the petite wife of his best friend paying homage to the porcelain god. He knelt down beside her and pulled back her dirty blonde hair, rubbing her back as he did so. When she finished, he sat back against the cool tile wall and after brushing her teeth, she crawled into his lap.

"Are you feeling okay Mer?" Mark asked, genuinely concerned about his lover's health.

"It's nothing, just a little stomach bug." But he could tell, he could tell she was lying. What was so horrible that she couldn't tell him? And then it hit him. Was she pregnant?

"You're lying," he said delicately.

"Maybe."

"Mer…please just tell me."

"I'm pregnant." She began crying into his chest. He soothed her, rubbing her back as he was freaking out in his head. Was the child his? Was it Derek's? Would he make a good father? Would he be a part of the child's life? He and Meredith had never talked about their future; they were simply having a good time.

And the question he could no longer hold in came bubbling to the surface. "Is it mine?"

Meredith buried her head deeper into his chest. "I don't know" she whispered. "I don't know how far along I am."

"What are we doing here Meredith?" Mark asked her.

Her beautiful green eyes came up to meet his. "What do you mean?"

"Are we just fucking or do you see a future for us? Are you going to divorce Derek?" His words came out a little harsher than he expected, or had wanted them to come out. He saw her eyes dim a little, and he knew he should apologize but her next words stopped him.

"I don't know yet." Hearing those words made Mark's heart sink because underlying those words were these: "I'm still in love with Derek."

**I'm sorry that it is short but I wanted to at least get some of it out so I could start getting feedback. I haven't decided whether it will be MerMark or MerDer, so tell me what you think! Thanks!**


	2. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: Don't expect such fast updates lol. I had this written and I felt kind of bad that the prologue was pretty short so here is a longer, full-fledged chapter. Thank you for the reviews, and I hope everyone enjoys it.**

Chapter One

Derek Shepherd awoke in the bedroom he once shared with Meredith, feeling the side where she should have been was cold. Derek knew he had screwed up, but he hoped that it wasn't over with Meredith. He needed to show her that Addison was a mistake, but it was hard with the constant reminder of her pregnancy. She was starting to show a little, and Derek knew it would only be a matter of time before the whole hospital knew that she was pregnant, and by him. The entire hospital knew two days after the fact that Meredith had moved out, and rumors were going around that she was sleeping with Mark. Of course, Derek blew off that notion…she hated him, but she wasn't going to hurt him that way. She knew what he thought of Mark, and he knew that no matter how much he had hurt her she would never hurt him that way.

He saw her then, at the end of the hallway chatting with her friend Izzie Stevens. The two had never been as close as Meredith and Cristina, but Derek had always liked Izzie better. Izzie had always acted kinder towards Derek, whereas Cristina acted as though Derek wasn't good enough for Meredith. And perhaps he wasn't. He didn't mean to sleep with Addison, he truly hadn't. It was just the two of them had begun to drift apart, getting busier and busier with work, and he had lost a patient that day, and getting drunk was his way to ease the pain. And then for some reason he had continued it, because he felt he needed the familiarity that was Addison, and not Meredith. He had retreated into his past, something that he would always regret.

And now here he was, wondering whether going to say hello to her would make her more upset with him. Six weeks was too long to have only passing pleasantries in the hallways, and they weren't even all that pleasant. Meredith was distant, something that was only to be expected. Before he had made up his mind his feet made the decision for him. He began walking towards the two women as Izzie's pager rang.

As she left, Meredith turned to leave and ran smack into Derek.

"Oh, I'm sor….oh it's just you" she turned away and began walking the other direction.

"Meredith, Meredith we need to talk…"

She whirled around, "talk about what? The fact you cheated or the fact that your adulterous whore is pregnant." She knew she was being hypocritical as she could very well be pregnant with Mark's baby, but it hurt knowing that he went to Addison in his time of pain rather than to her. And it hurt, knowing that they had spent eight months together.

"Meredith, please not here, come home tonight and we can talk".

Meredith pointed to an on call room. "We're talking now," and she dragged him in there.

Mark Sloan almost called into work sick that day. How he was going to face Meredith, knowing that he was nothing more than someone she was fucking to fill the void. And she quite possibly could be pregnant with his child. His child. That was something Mark had never really wanted to think about. Many a person had told him he would be a terrible father, and Addison's abortion of his baby still rankled. He hoped Meredith wouldn't abort his child, if it was his child, and go running back to Derek. He knew in his heart she would go back to Derek, because somehow he knew he would never come out on top. No woman chose him when they had Derek.

And now he had to see the two of them enter an on call room. No one went in an on call room just to talk, Mark should know. He was the participant of many an on call room "talk", and hell did he want another random woman to fuck. Sleeping with Meredith was getting too complicated with the whole "she's married to my ex-best friend" thing. And the whole pregnancy thing. And the whole "I'm still in love with Derek" thing. But Mark knew he had to continue with his life, even if it meant having his heart broken.

Meredith dragged Derek into the on call room and practically slammed the door behind her. She was angry, very angry, as she had seen Addison and Addison had been perky and cheerful. She wanted to hurt him, but she didn't know how. She knew she had to tell him she was pregnant, but she didn't know how. There were so many things she needed to say that she didn't know how to. She was an avoider, she didn't confront. And now she had gotten herself into a situation that somehow forced her to confront.

"Okay Meredith what did you want to talk about," Derek asked impatiently. He had patients to see and work to do and he had to talk to Addison about her appointment earlier this morning.

Meredith knew he was impatient. That's how he always was, trying to move on, rushing ahead. At first she hadn't noticed that he didn't seem to care, but somehow it hurt more and she wanted nothing more than to be in Mark's arms. And now she was rambling in her head about something or other, and thinking about Mark when her husband was in front of her.

"Meredith, I have patients to see and work to do and I have to talk to Addison about her appoint-" As soon as the word Addison left his mouth he saw Meredith's eyes narrow and realized that he had made a big mistake.

"Addison. ADDISON? Derek, that's all you ever talk about. Your precious Addison. What if all I ever talked about was Mark?" The moment the words had left her mouth she regretted them as it was Derek's turn to have his eyes narrowed.

"You're sleeping with Mark?" He asked in a dangerous whisper.

"You're still sleeping with Addison" she accused.

"This is not about me Meredith. It's about you sleeping with my worst enemy!"

"Derek, you are now being hypocritical. Your wife cheated on you and you turn around and cheat on me with the same wife five years later? Derek, be reasonable."

His hand came up and made contact with her face. The smacking sound reverberated through the tiny room and Meredith's hand flew to her reddened cheek. Tears welled in her eyes, not from the physical pain but from the emotional pain.

"Meredith, I'm sorry, I overreacted."

"Now you realize. I never want to speak to you again"

Meredith left the on call room, leaving Derek standing there, with tears streaming down her face. She ran into Mark, but without even an apology ran into the nearest supply closet. Mark glared towards the on call room, wondering if he should hurt Derek for hurting Meredith so obviously or to comfort Meredith. Then he wondered why he cared. She had made it quite clear they were only fuck buddies, but for some reason he thought he might love Meredith Shepherd. So he followed her into the supply closet and found her there, curled up with her knees up, putting her face in her knees.

"Meredith…" he said gently, hoping his gruff voice came off kindly and gently.

She raised her head and it was all he could do to suppress a gasp when he saw the red handprint on her face.

"Mer, did Derek hit you?" His words evoked a new wave of tears, but Meredith managed a nod.

"Why Mer?"

"I told him I was sleeping with you," she said with a watery smile.

Mark was shocked. He never really expected Meredith to tell her husband that they had been sleeping together, even though Addison had told him that she was continuing to sleep with Derek even after their drunken encounter. For eight months to be exact. Mark didn't know exactly how much Meredith knew, but he never expected Meredith to tell Derek. He expected her to go running back to Derek, leaving Mark to watch the two make a happy family with what was quite possibly his child. And now, he had a chance. He truly had a fighting chance.

"Did you tell him you were pregnant?" The moment the words left his mouth he regretted them. He saw how her eyes dimmed and he should have known not to bring it up. He wasn't used to the emotions that went along with sleeping with your ex-best friend's wife, and the emotions that went along with falling for her.

"I don't even know whose baby it is" she said, crying harder.

He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. "It's okay, it's going to be okay Mer." He stroked her hair, holding her until she fell asleep. He had never been this comfortable with another woman, not even Addison.

She woke up about an hour later and softly kissed him on the lips. "Thank you Mark."

"Anytime babe," he replied, and he truly meant it. Mark Sloan was not often comfortable holding a woman, just holding her and comforting her but for some reason he was with Meredith. He might not want to admit it to himself, but he thought he might be falling in love with his ex-best friend's wife.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all the reviews, I really appreciate it.**

**Chapter Two**

Meredith ran into Cristina two hours after she woke up in Mark's arms. She didn't want to admit it, but waking up in his arms felt so right, so comfortable. She shook the thoughts out of her head. She couldn't be falling for Mark…she just couldn't. He was someone to fill the void, not to get involved with. Although if she was pregnant with his child….

"Mer, where the hell have you been?"

"Um…"

"Oh right. With your lover. How could I forget?" Her tone was joking, not mocking. She had always liked Mark more than Derek, and had never thought Derek was good enough for her person.

"I'm pregnant" Meredith blurted out. "And I don't know who the father is."

Cristina was taken aback. Very few things took Cristina Yang aback, but the words her person had uttered took her aback. She was shocked. Meredith was pregnant. "How the hell did you let that happen?"

"Cristina!"

"Well, I was asking how the hell you got pregnant with a little McBaby."

"I don't know. I'm on the pill but apparently it has its flaws."

"Obviously."

"You know, a little support would be nice here."

"Fine, have you told Derek?"

"Why would I tell Derek? He might not be the father."

"So I'm the first person you told?"

"I told Mark."

Cristina shook her head. Obviously her person was falling for Mark, but she didn't see it herself. "I don't understand your logic."

"Derek has no right to know anything about my life anymore. In case you forgot, he carried on an eight month affair with his ex-wife."

"He has the right to know if it is his baby."

"Fine, you have a point. Can you get me a damn test? I need to know how far along it is."

"Would you like Addison to do the test?" Cristina asked jokingly.

Meredith glared at her. "Could you just do the damn test?"

"God, must be the hormones. You are cranky."

"Shut up."

Meredith locked herself in the on-call room and stared at the results. She had been staring at them for the better part of an hour, deciding what she should do. She couldn't abort the baby, she knew that, and she would not be able to bear giving it up for adoption. No, although she wasn't sure she was ready she was going to be a mother. She continued staring at the results until her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered quietly.

"Mer…" Mark's gruff and sexy voice came through the phone. "Where are you? I thought you were going to page me when you got off an hour ago."

_Shit. _Meredith muttered to herself. "I'm sorry. I forgot, I've been busy. I'm in the on-call room on the third floor. Will you come? We need to talk."

Mark felt his heart drop a little at those words. She had decided to go back to Derek. His heart sank more than it should and he realized he was more than falling for Meredith Shepherd. He was in love with her. He tried to keep the disappointment out of his voice when he told her he would be there in five minutes.

He stood outside the on-call room debating whether to go in. He didn't want his heart broken, he was human after all. Finally he summoned up the courage and opened the door.

Meredith looked up from the piece of paper she was holding to the man in front of her.

"We have to talk."

"You said that," Mark said, wanting her to just break up with him so he could go to Joe's, drown himself in scotch, and find a hot chick to fuck senseless.

"I'm pregnant." Meredith didn't know how to tell him. She wanted to of course, but she didn't know how to.

"You also said that." Now Mark was getting annoyed.

"It's yours."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Three

Mark just stood there frozen. He didn't know what to say in return. He didn't know what this meant in terms of their relationship. He was perfectly happy with them being fuck buddies because at least he got to have some of her. He didn't know what would happen now that she was pregnant with his child. With _his_ child. That was something that scared the crap out of Mark Sloan. Addison had aborted his baby. Would Meredith do the same? For some reason he wanted her to keep it, he wanted her to let him help raise it. He wanted all this, even though he knew he didn't deserve it, and he knew he would make a terrible father.

"Well Mark, aren't you going to say something?"

"Are you keeping it?" She nodded slowly. Now Mark had to ask the question he had been dreading. "What happens now? Will you leave Derek?"

She hesitated. "I think so –" She began, but Mark cut her off.

"You hesitated."

"What do you mean?" Meredith asked.

"You hesitated. You are still in love with him. Damn it Meredith, I can't be with someone who doesn't want me."

"I do want you, I do. You just have to give me time. Derek was a large part of my life for a very long time, but you are my future Mark."

"Meredith, I love you, but you are still in love with Derek."

"I'm not," she said rather unconvincingly. Mark saw the hesitation in her eyes and his heart broke. She was still in love with Derek.

Mark turned and began to walk out of the on-call room. Meredith grabbed his arm. "Please…" she said, her green eyes tearing. "Please just give me a little time."

"I don't know if I can do that."

"Please Mark, please."

"I can't Meredith, I'm sorry"

And with that he turned and left the on-call room while Meredith sank onto a bed and cried.

* * *

Mark went to Joe's with every intention of fucking a hot girl against the bathroom wall. He sat down and ordered a scotch and began perusing the bar for prospects. A hot blonde at the far end of the bar caught his eye. Her blue eyes met his steel blue ones, and he gave her the McSteamy grin. Within twenty minutes he was in the bathroom, with her pushed up against a wall and he was inside her.

He barely noticed the doorknob turn and realized too late who was on the other side. He heard a gasp, an "Oh my God" and turned his head towards the door. There stood Meredith, tears welling in her eyes. He heard her stammer, "I was just – I just had to – I just had to use the bathroom" and then she turned without another word and began to make her way out of the bar. Mark let out a loud "Fuck" and began to get dressed to find Meredith. The blonde asked him to stay, but he blew her off and left towards the front of the bar.

He left the bar and went out into the pouring rain. He saw her walking towards her car and he broke into a run. He quickly caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Stop, please Mark, I don't want to talk to you right now," she said without looking at him.

"Meredith, please just look at me"

"I can't Mark, I can't."

"I'm sorry, please just talk to me"

She whirled around angry now. "I told you I was pregnant with your child and you go and fuck some slut in the bathroom? I don't know if I want you in my child's life anymore." She knew that would hurt him and it did, she could see it in his eyes. She had been hurt the moment she had seen him in that bathroom. She didn't want to analyze why it hurt so bad…she didn't want to look deeper and see that she was moving on from Derek and towards falling in love with Mark.

"Meredith please, let me explain."

"Explain what Mark? What were you going to explain? You found the first willing woman who would have you and betrayed me -"

Mark cut her off angrily. "Betrayed you? Betrayed _you_? I hate to break it to you babe, but you were the one who told me you were still in love with another man. So forgive me, but I don't see how I was betraying you."

"You betrayed my trust Mark. How will I ever trust you again?"

"Do you want to know why I did it? I couldn't deal with you not loving me when I love you –"

She scoffed. "You have a funny way of showing it"

"Meredith, I don't know how to deal with the fact that you are still in love with Derek. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I refuse to be shut out of our baby's life."

"God, you make me so frustrated sometimes. You tell me you love me and then I see you fucking some blonde. I'm sorry but-" She was cut off by Mark's lips on hers. He tried to pour as much passion and love into that kiss, but apparently it wasn't enough. She pulled away, slapped him and then got in her car, drenched from the rain, and drove towards the hotel with tears in her eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Four

She woke up without Mark's strong arms surrounding her. She placed a hand on her stomach and sighed. She wanted to work it out with Mark, she truly did, but he had betrayed her trust and she was leery to let him back into her life. If it had been just about her she probably would have let him back in, because although she hated to admit it she was beginning to move on with Mark. But it wasn't just about her, it was about her unborn child; correction, _their_ unborn child. She knew what it was like to grow up without a father and she didn't want that for her baby, but she didn't want them to be hurt. And she didn't know if she could trust Mark not to hurt their child.

-------------------------------------

Mark Sloan awoke without his arms around the petite woman he had grown to love. He knew he had screwed up, he typically knew when he screwed up he just usually didn't care. But this morning, without Meredith, he cared. He just hadn't known how to love someone who was in love with his ex-best friend. But he shouldn't have acted on his impulses, he shouldn't have returned to his old ways and he realized that. And now it was time to talk to Meredith Shepherd.

He knocked on her door, holding his breath and still not knowing what he wanted to say. He should have, could have sat in his room and thought it out. But he now knew that he had to apologize.

She opened the door, not looking through the peephole. She realized who was on the other side of the door and tried to close it. But Mark blocked it.

"We need to talk," he said, easily holding open the door with his broad shoulders.

"No we don't," she said, trying with no avail to shut the door more. Mark chuckled, making Meredith even madder. She tried again to shut the door, but Mark didn't budge.

"Please Meredith."

She realized he wasn't going to leave until they talked, so she decided to let him in to get it over with. And no matter how sexy he looked standing in her doorway she was going to have control and not let him back into her bed. "Fine," she relented. "But make it quick."

She opened the door more, allowing Mark to step into her hotel room. He had been in it so many times over the last five weeks.

"I'm sorry," he began.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it Mark. I tell you I am pregnant with your child and you turn around and go fuck some blonde in Joe's. So Mark, I need more than sorry."

Now he was upset. "Fine. You want something more? I am in love with you Meredith Shepherd. I love our child. But I can't show you because you are still in love with Derek!" By the end he was practically shouting. He hadn't come here to yell at her, after all it was he who had screwed up, but he had ended up getting so frustrated. Then he lowered his voice to a dangerous growl. "How dare you. How dare you blame me for fucking some blonde when you are still in love with Derek?"

She saw the pain in his eyes, heard the anger and pain in his voice, and she softened. But she was still hurt. "You hurt me Mark."

He stepped closer to her and breathed against her ear. "Maybe you aren't as in love with Derek as you think."

"I can't trust you," she whispered breathily, her voice shaking at his proximity. She could smell his scent that was part his cologne and part him. She could feel her knees weakening.

"You will" And with that he turned and left the room, leaving Meredith to wonder what the hell just happened.


	6. Chapter 5 Sorry for the Confusion

**Okay, so a couple things. This is Chapter 5, I didn't actually label my chapters right, because I had a prologue that went in as chapter one. So basically, in the dropdown list, there are now 2 chapter 5s.**

**Anyway, what I really need to say is, I'm sorry. Life got in the way of this fanfic, and my own issues. So again, I apologize, and hopefully the next update will be up sooner rather than later!**

Chapter Five

Mark entered the hospital hoping to avoid Derek Shepherd, but another part of him wanted to beat him to a pulp for slapping Meredith. But then again, Derek had once been his best friend, a brother practically. And then Mark had screwed up, and just when they were getting to a point where they could be civil to one another again, he had to go and fall in love with Derek's estranged wife. And the whole pregnancy thing couldn't help either, although Mark was unsure if Derek knew she was pregnant. He had the feeling that that would not go over well if Derek did know.

Of course, when one is avoiding someone, they are typically the first person they see. And such was the case, as luck was not on Mark Sloan's side. The first person he saw was his ex-best friend Derek Shepherd. And the next thing he felt was Derek's fist in his face.

He got up and rubbed his face and turned to Derek. "What the hell was that for?" He figured playing innocent was the best way to go, considering he knew exactly why Derek had punched him.

"For sleeping with my wife!" Derek shouted, and his fist came flying towards Mark again, but this time Mark was quick enough to deflect it with his arm.

"God damn it Derek, you know you are a hypocrite. You have been sleeping with Addison for eight months."

"Don't bring that up," Derek all but growled. He was angry, angry because Mark had a point, and he didn't want to admit it. His blind rage was all consuming, and he didn't want to think about the fact that he had practically driven Meredith into Mark's arms, and he didn't want to look at that.

"I can bring it up all I want to. That's why Meredith came to me in the first place Derek," Mark retorted.

Derek looked defeated, and asked quietly, "Do you think I have a chance with her?"

Mark looked at his former best friend, and saw the pain in his eyes and chose his words carefully. "Derek, I am going to make damn sure that you don't."

"Answer me this: Are you in love with my wife?"

Mark knew he was, but he debated answering Derek honestly. He finally decided on it, and answered with a quiet "Yes." And with his words, Derek turned and walked away.

* * *

Meredith was paged to an on-call room later that afternoon. As she wound her way through the halls, she hoped Mark was not paging her just for sex because he was not getting any, no matter how much Meredith wanted to hop into bed with him. She was going to be strong and resist his sexy smirks and "McSteamy" looks. Ok, so she was going to be strong for a little while, at least until she had decided what to do in this whole situation. Everything had been moving so fast she hadn't had the time to really think about the fact she was still married to Derek, Mark loved her, and she was carrying Mark's child.

She got to the on-call room and opened the door slowly. She did not want to have another recap of the episode in the bathroom of Joe's bar, but then she realized he wouldn't have paged her here to watch him have sex with another woman. And not to her surprise, there stood Mark.

"I told Derek I'm in love with you," he said bluntly. He didn't want to mince his words, and he needed her to know that he was serious about the two of them, even though he had made a mistake.

"You did?" She was genuinely shocked. She didn't think his feelings were that strong, she thought he was just saying it to get back into her pants.

"Yeah, and he didn't take it too well," he let out a wry chuckle, which sounded rather forced. He stared at his shoes and kicked invisible dust around.

Meredith was a bit disconcerted by the loss of the cocky, arrogant attitude Mark usually possessed. And she knew she had to ask him the question she didn't really want to know the answer to. "Did you tell him I'm pregnant?"

He looked up at her. "No, I figured that was yours to tell."

"Thank you," she said. "I should tell him soon though, I don't want him to hear it from anyone else."

"Are you leaving him?" Mark asked tentatively. He wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

She stared down at the floor, unable to meet Mark's eyes. "I don't know yet," she answered softly. Mark was now upset.

"You are pregnant with my child and you don't know if you are going back to the cheating bastard that is your husband?"

"Don't talk about him that way!" Meredith defended.

Mark scoffed. "And now you are defending him. He's still sleeping with her. She's pregnant, and he loves her, I could see it in his eyes Meredith." He saw the pain in her eyes when he revealed that Derek still loved Addison. "I'm sorry," he said his voice softening.

Meredith's eyes welled with tears. "He promised he would leave her Mark, he promised."

"I'm sorry Mer."

"How could I have been so stupid? He told me he loved me and promised to leave her a week ago, a week ago Mark." Tears began to flow freely down her cheeks. "A week ago," she whispered. Mark took three steps forward and enveloped her in his arms. He began stroking her hair and whispered "Shh," into her hair. She kept crying and whispering "A week ago" as she sobbed, soaking the scrub shirt Mark was wearing. He felt terrible that he had told her the truth, Addison had told him yesterday that she was still sleeping with Derek. Albeit, she didn't know he was sleeping with Meredith, and he didn't find it prudent to tell her. As he held Meredith, he realized that he had an intense hatred for his former best friend for hurting Meredith this way. He wanted to beat him into a bloody pulp, but he knew he couldn't. So he just held her, whispering "Shhh" into her hair.

* * *

When Meredith settled down she realized she was being stupid. Here was a man who was willing to give her everything she had ever wanted, and she was still pining over a man who had been with another woman for eight months. She made her decision then and there. She lifted her green eyes to meet his steel blue ones.

"I'm leaving Derek," she said solemnly.

Mark had been waiting five weeks to hear those words, but he wanted to be sure that she was positive it was him she wanted to be with and she wasn't just saying it. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she answered forcefully, and then lifted her lips to his and captured him in a passionate kiss. As he locked the door behind him and kissed her back, he realized that he could see himself with Meredith for the rest of his life. And the thought surprisingly didn't scare him, but made him hopeful.

And Meredith, although she had said she wouldn't let him back in her bed, realized that one look from him made her defenses crumble.

**There it is! Please review, as it is really appreciated.**


	7. Chapter 6

**So, this chapter is pretty short, but I'm posting Chapter Seven right now, so I hope you'll forgive me!**

**Reviews are appreciated, as always.**

* * *

Chapter Six

Addison Montgomery wondered how she had gotten to this point. She was sleeping with her ex-husband, who was married to the woman who had helped end their marriage. She didn't know how she had degraded herself to sleeping with her ex-husband. She was an attractive woman, she could find a man out there, and men had shown interest in her. But of course she was attracted to two men who couldn't stay away from Meredith Shepherd. She didn't see the whole allure of the woman, to be honest, but she was not male. And now she was pregnant, and alone. Derek had told her he was trying to get Meredith back, and she had silently sobbed after he had fallen asleep. She had told him she was pregnant, and he was attentive and supporting. She just didn't know what was going to happen.

* * *

Derek Shepherd wandered down the halls looking for his wife. He found her, exiting the on-call room with slightly mussed hair, and Mark followed a few minutes later. There was no question what they had been doing in there. Derek clenched and unclenched his fists a few times, trying to squelch the blind rage he felt for Mark.

"Meredith!" He called after her. She knew his voice, knew who it was, and so she walked faster. Unfortunately for her, her legs couldn't move away from Derek fast enough, and he reached her and grabbed her arm gently.

She whirled around angrily. "Can't you tell I don't want to talk to you?"

"Mer, we need to talk."

She narrowed her eyes. "Don't call me Mer. You lost that right when you slept with Addison." She didn't want to go into her feelings, because although she had told Mark she was leaving Derek, she didn't know if she wanted to. Part of her wanted to give Derek another chance. He guided her into the on-call room in which she had just had her rendezvous with Mark.

"I'm leaving her," he told her. "I mean, I'll support her through her pregnancy, but I'm leaving her." Derek looked at Meredith expectantly. But the words that came out of her mouth next were not what he expected.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out. His eyes lit up, expecting her to say it was his. She saw this and felt terrible saying her next words. "It's Mark's." His eyes diminished.

"What?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"I'm sorry Derek," she said softly. She really was. Although she felt like she was moving on a bit with Mark, she didn't know how to leave the man she had once described as her "knight in shining whatever".

Derek recomposed himself. "I'll raise it as my own. Meredith, I don't care who the father of this child is, we'll raise it as our own." Meredith's eyes watered a little at his sincerity and his willingness to overlook the fact that the child was Mark's. It made what she was going to say next all that much harder.

"I'm staying with him," she whispered softly. "I'm sorry Derek."

Derek couldn't believe the words he was hearing. "Get out, just get out."

"I'm sorry," she said without making any motion to leave.

He raised his voice, "Get Out!" and then he lowered his voice to a dangerous whisper. "I never want to see you again."

"Derek, please…"

"GET OUT!" he roared angrily.

Meredith backed into the door, afraid of his raw emotion. She quietly left the room and left Derek in there. He almost punched the wall, but stopped himself, remembering his hands were his livelihood. He locked the door and sank on to the on-call room bed. He put his face in his hands and began to cry softly. He had lost the love of his life, and he didn't know how to get her back. But that didn't mean he would stop trying.


	8. Chapter 7

**Two chapters in less than an hour. They were both written, so it was easy to upload them. Hopefully Chapter 8 will be up soon!**

Chapter Seven

Meredith woke up in Mark's arms, which felt so right. But there was still nagging doubt that pressed at her, making her wonder if she had done the right thing. She had seen the pain in Derek's eyes when she told him that she was staying with Mark, and she knew that on some level he still loved her. She had heard the anger and rage in his voice when he told her to get out, and her heart had broken a little when he told her he never wanted to see her again. She didn't want to analyze why her heart had broken a little bit, but she knew it was because there was a part of her that deep down still loved Derek Shepherd. As fantastic as Mark was, he had hurt her. Derek had too, but for some odd reason Mark's betrayal stung still, whereas Derek's indiscretions had seemed to have passed from her mind.

She didn't want to analyze why Mark's betrayal, if she could even call it that as she was still married, still lingered in her mind. She didn't want to analyze it because she knew she was falling in love with Mark, and she didn't know if she wanted to be falling in love again (because the first time had worked out so well). She hadn't realized how much Derek had hurt her until she realized she was afraid to fall in love with Mark because she was afraid he would hurt her like Derek had.

Mark began to stir, keeping his arms wrapped around Meredith. He placed a soft kiss on her shoulder. "Good morning," he whispered quietly.

"Good morning," she whispered softly turning over on her other side to face him.

He placed a soft kiss to her lips, then asked the question he had wanted to ask when she had slipped into his bed late last night, but hadn't wanted to get into that conversation then. "How did it go with Derek?"

Her eyes began to tear up, and he almost regretted his question, if he hadn't needed to know the answer so badly. "He told me he never wants to see me again."

Mark knew that must have hurt her, and he knew Derek knew that would hurt her too. A part of him was furious with Derek for hurting her this way, but another part of him realized it was probably Derek protecting himself. Meredith Shepherd was not a woman a man let go easily. He pulled her closer to him and whispered in his hair, "I'm sorry." He knew that wouldn't be enough nor did he expect it to be, but he didn't expect her reaction. She pulled away from him and got out of the warm bed.

"Where are you going, Mer?"

"Shower," she replied tersely. She had to get into the shower, and get into the shower fast so she could break down and sob. She didn't want Mark to realize how much Derek still held sway over her emotions. She continued her journey towards the bathroom.

Mark watched her walk away, and realized that right now she needed to be alone. He rolled over onto his back and placed his hand under his head as he stared at the ceiling. He heard the water start, and thought about how much Meredith Shepherd had changed his life.

* * *

Meredith quickly started the water, and then slowly rid herself of her clothes. She got into the shower and allowed the warm water to cascade over her body. It was only once she was in the shower that she sank to the ground and allowed herself to sob. She didn't want Mark to feel like he had to comfort her, although she knew he would comfort her and whisper soothing words to her without hesitation. Or maybe she was just sick of feeling so vulnerable with the men in her life. She hadn't necessarily meant to push Mark away like that, and she felt a little guilty. But her need to be alone, her need to just think had over powered that guilt.

As she sat on the shower floor sobbing she began hating Derek. Hating him for still being able to affect her this way, even though she was slowly, but surely, trying to move on with another man. She hated him for what he had done to her and how he had thrown her life into a tailspin. She placed a hand on her abdomen, and thought about her unborn child. A part of her was glad it was Mark's because she knew where she stood with him, or at least sort of where she stood. She knew he loved her, and she knew he truly regretted that night in Joe's when he had fucked another woman. She had yet to see a sign that Derek regretted sleeping with Addison.

After her tears had dried up, Meredith turned off the water and wrapped herself in a large towel and proceeded to dry off.

* * *

Mark heard the water shut off, and assumed she would return soon. He continued to stare at the ceiling when the realization hit him again that he was going to be a father. In the busyness of the last few days he hadn't really had a chance to allow that fact to sink in. As he stared at the ceiling, he knew he would have to talk to Meredith about their living arrangement. He hoped she wouldn't change her mind and return to Derek, and he knew that they could not raise a child in a hotel room.

The door to the bathroom opened softly and Mark's eyes involuntarily went to the woman standing in the doorway. Her hair dripped onto the white towel wrapped around herself. And Mark realized that he had never seen anyone more beautiful than in that moment. He got up from the bed and walked towards her, placing a soft kiss on her lips. She opened her mouth to allow his tongue to explore her mouth. He would never tire of kissing her he knew.

When they pulled away for air, she smiled at him, and he wondered what was going through her head at that moment. She told him she needed to get dressed, and then proceeded to do so. He thought perhaps now was a good time to broach the subject of living arrangements.

"Mer?"

"Hm?" she replied, still digging in her drawer for a pair of socks. She was glad she had moved most of her things from her hotel room into his a couple of weeks ago, as she realized quickly that she would be spending a lot of time there.

"You are really staying with me?" The disbelief in his voice, the disbelief that someone would choose him over Derek made her heart break a little. She abandoned her quest for socks, and turned to face him.

"Yes, I'm really staying with you," she answered, a smile playing on her lips. The relief in his face was palpable in the hotel room.

Mark wet his lips, debating how to phrase his next question. She noticed this and cocked her head to the side, looking at him curiously. He took in a deep breath, and said "Move in with me."

She laughed, that giggle of hers that always made Mark's heart soar. "My underwear is in your drawer. I think I've moved in with you."

He smiled for a brief moment as well, then his expression turned more serious. "No, I mean I want to buy a house for the three of us. Mer, I want to build a life with you."

The laughter died on her lips. She paled a little, then quickly turned looking for her flip-flops and purse, muttering to herself. She turned to him, saying, "It's too soon for you to be saying things like that to me. I have to go." And with that she let herself out the door.

Mark exhaled heavily and ran a hand down his face. And now he was faced with the question: Would she come back?

**As always, reviews are appreciated!**


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